Swimming & Diving
Common sense precautions can make time in the water both fun and safe for you and your friends.

• Learn to swim if you don’t already know how. Lessons are available at community pools for all age groups and levels of experience.
• Never swim alone.
• Keep at least one Coast Guard Approved Type IV throwable flotation device by the backyard pool. A flotation device should be thrown near, not at, a victim.
• Swim only in designated areas or familiar waters.
• Don’t overestimate your skills or abilities.
• Never dive near other swimmers.
• Don’t rely on inflatable water toys to keep you afloat.
• Dive only from the front of a diving board or from the pool edge, and never from a balcony, fence, ladder, etc.
• Diving accidents can cause spinal injury. Gently move the victim to shallow water, being careful not to bend or twist the neck. Call immediately for trained help.

Unfamiliar Waters
Approach unfamiliar waters with caution, no matter how safe they may appear to be. Potential dangers can exist along that inviting river or ocean stretch.

• Sudden dropoffs, broken glass, stumps or debris may be hidden beneath the water surface.
• The power of waves, currents and undertows can be deceptive, and can overpower even the strongest of swimmers. Every year riptides catch swimmers and waders unaware, resulting in hundreds of drownings.
• Rocks along the water’s edge can be slippery. Move with caution when climbing them.
• Most natural bodies of water are colder than air. Immersion can result in hypothermia.
• Stay off frozen lakes and ponds unless they have been officially declared safe.
• Wear an approved personal flotation device (PFD) when entering the water to fish, etc.

Rafting & Kayaking
The appeal of river rafting and kayaking continues to grow among young adults, but these are not sports for amateurs. Calm waters can turn into raging rapids a half mile downstream.
If river rafting sounds interesting, sign up with friends for a professionally guided trip. You’ll discover how many precautions professionals must take to ensure the safety of their charges.

• Be careful if you take off with friends.
• Invest in good quality equipment. Inflatable rafts and toys made for pools are not suitable for moving water.
• Wear a Coast Guard approved personal flotation device (PFD) and protective headgear.
• If rafting in cold water or snow melt, rent wet suits to keep warm.
• Know the ratings of the rivers in your area. Begin with the easier runs.
• If possible, drive downstream along the river beforehand. You’ll know what to expect along the way.
• Kayak or raft in groups of at least two craft, never alone.
• Secure your gear so that you won’t become entangled if you capsize.
• While underway, pull ashore and walk ahead to examine rapids and trouble spots. If you have any doubts, carry your craft downstream.
• Stay clear of tree overhangs, log jams, debris and other obstacles that water flows through rather than around. The current could pin you against them.
• Avoid water near dams. Their currents could trap you underwater.
• Learn the language and nature of flowing water. The current is faster on the outside of a river bend. A “V” in the water pointing upstream indicates a rock; a downstream “V” indicates a gap between rocks.